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Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international
hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him
the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Since his triumphant release in 1990
from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela has been at the center of the
most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world. As president of the African
National Congress and head of South Africa's antiapartheid movement, he was instrumental
in moving the nation toward multiracial government and majority rule. He is revered
everywhere as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality.

Long Walk to Freedom is his moving and exhilarating autobiography, a book
destined to take its place among the finest memoirs of history's greatest figures. Here for the
first time, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela tells the extraordinary story of his life - an epic of
struggle, setback, renewed hope, and ultimate triumph, which has, until now, been virtually
unknown to most of the world.

The foster son of a Thembu chief, Mandela was raised in the traditional, tribal culture of his
ancestors, but at an early age learned the modern, inescapable reality of what came to be called
apartheid, one of the most powerful and effective systems of oppression ever conceived. In
classically elegant and engrossing prose, he tells of his early years as an impoverished student
and law clerk in Johannesburg, of his slow political awakening, and of his pivotal role in the
rebirth of a stagnant ANC and the formation of its Youth League in the 1950s. He describes
the struggle to reconcile his political activity with his devotion to his family, the anguished
breakup of his first marriage, and the painful separations from his children.

He brings vividly to life the escalating political warfare in the fifties between the ANC and the
government, culminating in his dramatic escapades as an underground leader and the
notorious Rivonia Trial of 1964, at which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. He
recounts the surprisingly eventful twenty-seven years in prison and the complex, delicate
negotiations that led both to his freedom and to the beginning of the end of apartheid.
Finally he provides the ultimate inside account of the unforgettable events since his release
that produced at last a free, multiracial democracy in South Africa.

To millions of people around the world, Nelson Mandela stands, as no other living figure
does, for the triumph of dignity and hope over despair and hatred, of self-discipline and love
over persecution and evil. Long Walk to Freedom embodies that spirit in a book for
all time.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my six children, Madiba and Makaziwe (my first daughter), who are
now deceased, and to Makgatho, Makaziwe, Zenani, and Zindzi, whose support and love I
treasure; to my twenty-one grandchildren and three great-grandchildren who give me great
pleasure; and to all my comrades, friends, and fellow South Africans whom I serve and
whose courage, determination, and patriotism remain my source of inspiration.

Acknowledgment

As readers will discover, this book has a long history. I began writing it clandestinely in 1974
during my imprisonment on Robben Island. Without the tireless labor of my old comrades Walter Sisulu and Ahmed Kathhrada for reviving my memories, it is doubtful the
manuscript would have been completed. The copy of the manuscript which I kept with me
was discovered by the authorities and confiscated. However, in addition to their unique
calligraphic skills, my co-prisoners Mac Maharaj and Isu Chiba had ensured that the original
manuscript safely reached its destination. I resumed work on it after my release from prison
in 1990.

Since my release, my schedule has been crowded with numerous duties and responsibilities,
which have left me little free time for writing. Fortunately, I have had the assistance of
dedicated colleagues, friends, and professionals who have helped me complete my work at
last, and to whom I would like to express my appreciation.

I am deeply grateful to Richard Stengel who collaborated with me in the creation of this book,
providing invaluable assistance in editing and revising the first parts and in the writing of
the latter parts. I recall with fondness our early morning walks in the Transkei and the many
hours of interviews at Shell House in Johannesburg and my home in Houghton. A special
tribute is owed to Mary Pfaff who assisted Richard in his work. I have also benefited from the
advice and support of Fatima Meer, Peter Magubane, Nadine Gordimer, and Ezekiel
Mphahlele.

I want to thank especially my comrade Ahmed Kathrada for the long hours spent revising,
correcting, and giving accuracy to the story. Many thanks to my ANC office staff, who
patiently dealt with the logistics of the making of this book, but in particular to Barbara
Masekela for her efficient coordination. Likewise, Iqbal Meer has devoted many hours to
watching over the business aspects of the book. I am grateful to my editor, William Phillips of
Little, Brown, who has guided this project from early 1990 on, and edited the text, and to his
colleagues Jordan Pavlin, Steve Schneider, Mike Mattil, and Donna Peterson. I would also
like to thank Professor Gail Gerhart for her factual review of the manuscript.